Prisoner 666
by Jay Puma
Summary: A deadly assassin escapes a high level federal prison due to the greed of a man, who then sends out a begrudging android to fetch her. Shadow pursues the prisoner for the truth: Who is she? Why would she admit to everything and still try to kill the President?
1. Breaking Out

**Prisoner 666**

The Mobians stormed the corridor, ignoring the pleas from the prisoners in the cells on either side. They needed to get into the deepest high-security area, as their client retold.  
_"The most watched prisoner is in the smallest cell. Be careful!"_ He warned. _"I think they mix in a few inmates from time to time. I want the most dangerous one!"_  
"We know," the leader said, as if he was just talking to his mother. He motioned to his comrades to tap into the cell's automated door lock. It required a fingerprint, a password and voice confirmation. All easily prepared with the help of a small laptop.  
The wall segment of the door moved out and to their right, revealing dimly lit cell. The wall facing the door had a hedgehog chained up against the wall, who had a choppy short hairstyle and not the usual orange jumpsuit.  
"Get her out," the leader commanded, turning to a Mobian with the stereotypical federal prisoner get up. He peered at him. "You must be our man," he concluded, but the plastic band on his wrist said he was number 587. He needed-  
Iron snagged his throat before he could warn his members, who were already aware and sprawled on the ground. But this wasn't strangling, more of a knockout hold as it was sudden and brief. He slumped to the floor with the end of the chain.  
"You guys shouldn't have," the hedgehog said, her bare pale gray feet striding from behind. "I didn't think there was someone out there who gave a half-thought about me, except in their nightmares. As much as an offer they probably have for me, no thanks."  
A very young coy face lowered and tilted into view, with her dark midnight blue eyes and feathery eyelashes. Nothing like a high-threat federal prisoner; it was dangerously easy to judge.  
As if she could tell, "Now you know. I'd give a solid B plus." The last words he heard of the chained hejji as she strolled away was, "Better luck next time."

* * *

"Idiots!" The head screeched on, kicking table legs, file cabinets and waste bins, causing secretaries to release their flying papers which they picked up.  
"Sir?" A purple cat at the table lifted her hand. "Are you talking about the group who released-"  
"Of course_ not them!_ I'm talking about the _idiots_ who had the money and _stupidity_ to hire _brilliant_ people to bring back the _most dangerous being in the country_ to work for them!"  
"That team _was_ very skilled," a light orange echidna let out.  
"'Cause now I've got to put all this"- he began referring to the current problems being dealt in various obscenities-"to find one"-obscene adjective-_"hedgehog!"_  
"You'd also have to find the people with the money and interests to want her," a white bat pointed out, literally and oraly.  
"Then that's your job," the commander said, Rogue striding out of the room. "Blaze, I need you to try and see if you can find any information we don't have, especially who the"-obscenity-"she used to be." The cat left with a "Right away, sir."  
The two quietest people were left. "Now you've got to deal with her. You two've gotta hunt this"-she's a hedgehog, not a dog-_"down."_  
"Seperately, sir?" the echidna clarified.  
"If it's faster. I know that one of you works best alone. You two relay information to each other, that's my only request and order." He slid a thick folder across to them. "She's very dangerous. Like mist. When the group broke her out, she just disappeared. No cameras or other witnesses. She's the worst kind of"-obscenity-"there is. No "-when would this man stop cursing? Hard to believe he has photos of three kids all over his office.  
"Blaze will relay information to us as well, correct?"  
"Yes. We're counting on you two. This woman's _existance_ is very classified and sensitive. No press."  
"Yes sir."

* * *

"Idiots!" another man was screaming, in another place, at other people. "Not only did they fail to get him, they got caught! Serves me right for sending unreliable hired people! I should've sent my own the first time." He pressed the intercom button. "Metal, get down here."  
A blue android shaped like a hedgehog appeared. His interior machinery growled at the man.  
"I hope you know that _I_ am your creator. You won't get away so easily if you pull another trick like that again. You _will_ obey me."  
The android prefered letting his motors reply instead.  
"So, Metal. I need you to hunt down the federal prisoner number 666. Bring him back to me and be a good little Badnik."  
Contemptous purring noises came from Metal.  
_"Answer me,_ Metal Sonic!"  
The rumbles died down, and the red eyes of the robot glared brightly. "Yes, sir," came the growl.

* * *

The prison was buzzing with activity; federal guards were being questioned, relaying security tapes and dusting for prints. "According to the information, she was last seen by prisoner 587, and before that, the leader of the group. Both confirm she walked out of the room, but the other prisoners said she never came their way," an officer reported.  
"Are there any nearby empty cells?" Shade questioned.  
"No. There's no way she'd have access to any escape routes. No camera footage of her outer escape."  
In the nearby cell, the leader of the group was being interagated by the other GUN member. One of them was in a cold sweat. "You mean..." the leader, a orange fox murmured, shivering.  
"Yeah..." the dark hedgehog let out. "She's still-"  
The facility quaked as an explosion signaled the arrival of the robot. It was on the other side of the building. Many of the personel rushed that way.  
The miracle oppurtunity to get out of the vents. The hedgehog couldn't keep holding herself motionless for hours.  
As soon as the other hedgehog saw mainly gray, and the black small clothes, and how she was chained about in different areas, he kicked the table to imbalance her for a bit. Then he grabbed her wrists, then she pushed off his chest to get away. A few air-slashing sounds, breaking glass and the door opened. She was-  
The hog grabbed the dragging chain and she tripped. "Help me pull her back!" When a few feet of chain was pulled the fox went down with a grunt.  
Wrapping the chain around his arms, the black hedgehog tried to get her into a hold.  
"Why so eager to get your hands on me?" she said, once he'd trapped her against him.  
"I think you know that by now," he grunted, before her feet scaled up the wall, she flipped and kicked his head. He still held the chain, but as if he was afraid it would break in his grip.  
"Come on, I'm not bringing you along!"  
"You're coming with me, Federal Prisoner number 666," a monotone voice annouced. A puff from the hejji and the chain went limp. Steel and iron scrapped against each other as the hedgehog got up.  
An android was now engaging the assassin. She had the remaining length of the chain around his neck, as if he had a jugular. The hog caught the other by her head, pulling her away from the robot.  
"Back off. She's staying here," the hog growled.  
Yanking the chain around her wrist the bot growled, "Not according to my command."  
"You guys think you've got control over me," she said. "I'm not going to be caged up yet, or someone's attack dog _again!"_ She kicked the hog and drove her knee into the robot. In a whiplash the hog blacked out.

"Shadow! Can you hear me?" His red eyes blinked open to see his echidna co-worker tapping him. "What happened?"  
"What was that explosion?"  
"An android set it off. He left a note." She held up a white enevelope with a black seal. The seal was circular, but looked like a cartoon face. "I'll analyze it back at HQ. What happened here?"  
"She made her move. Prisoner 666 never got out of the building. She was hiding in this vent system here. I saw the android. He interfered. I think he's part of the guys who wanted her. He seemed insistant."  
"He left this card though. I'll hand it over to Rogue; it's her case."  
"Did he get away?"  
"Yeah, but I don't think he got a hold of her. When he flew off, he dropped this note. Which means that he's in pursuit."  
"She's out now," Shadow mumbled. "You'd better warn the President. I'm going to keep looking."  
"I'll keep an eye out for you."  
"Hey," he stopped Shade from leaving. "She said something during the struggle. Something about being an attack dog."  
"A hired assassin? There were multiple incidents with her. Do you think someone hired her to kill the President, and all his associates?"  
"Maybe."  
"I'll let Blaze know. You should probably get some medical help."  
Shadow stood up. "I'm fine. I fight better with injuries anyway."

* * *

So there were GUN agents after her, an android who must be part of the group who wanted her to work for them. _Again._  
_I'm not gonna work for anyone but myself. No one thinks I'm doing right. I'm doing right, the madman in power is corrupt._  
_And the only way to stop him is to kill him. I was really close last time. Can I really do it?_  
_Yeah. I'll have to._


	2. Starting Over

The doorbell rang through the house, amid a child running about and a Mobian sipping his coffee. The wife undid her apron and went to answer the door.

She hugged the hedgehog in the trench coat with haste "Come in! Come in! What can I do for you? The cellar's still yours and everything's been untouched. I can clean it if you like. Dinner's almost ready. Do you need some clothes?"

"Honey, who's that?" the male asked, walking in. It was a pale gray hedgehog with dark blue eyes and a choppy hair cut. An iron choker with a chain peeked out of the flipped up collar of the coat, and their little one was eying the length of chain trailing behind her.

"This is my old friend," she explained.

"Selene," the hedgehog clarified. "I won't stay long. I've got to get back on the road soon."

"Won't you stay for dinner? I haven't seen you in ages!" The hedgehog grumbled, but nodded. The blonde hedgehog pulled out a key from the buffet in the hallway. It went into the door under the staircase.

"I'm so sorry for all this," Selene whispered. "You have a family now. They're going to be in danger-"

"You're my friend," Juno replied. "And after what happened with your dad, you're my family too." Selene smiled weakly. They went down into the basement, which looked like a mechanic's garage. Selene took off the coat, which hid her chained and exposed body. "Sorry about the dust. _I_ don't even come down here to do occasional cleaning."

"It's fine." The hedgehog moved over to the cutting blade. "Could you give me a hand with this?"

"Don't catch yourself on fire, or cut your neck off," Juno grumbled. "Nobody's got the guts to do what you do, Selene. I can't believe you still use your real name."

"I hope someday someone puts two and two together," she grunted, as the saw spewed sparks as it cut through the chainlink. The chains fell to her feet, and Juno stopped the saw.

"Let's not risk you cutting into your spine for those shakels. Wow, they really chained you up good. So, how long have you've been out? I heard that there was an explosion on the federal prison you'd be in, considering how far it is from the president's office. I thought you'd go after that senator first, he was so close."

"Hmm...Did I?"

* * *

In the hotel part of the casino, agents were inspecting all crevices of room F-twenty-four. A senator was staying in there, and as the body told, he'd been killed the night he checked in. His wife was in hysterics.

"I walked in, and there were _birds _eating his body!" she wailed. Shade listened as she inspected the door. "He must've been dead for days!"

"Shadow, do you read me? Are you asking the-"

"Can you just wait a moment? I'm investgating," he snapped. He went back to the doormen on the shift. "Was there anyone who went upstairs to that floor?"

"Yeah, there were a lot of wealthy people checking in-"

"Was there anyone who visited the room? We're looking for-"

"Remember that spicy hot chick who walked in, guys?" the Mobian who had been rolling his eyes in asking for a serious bad-cop interragation blurted. "Man! I wish I knew who's got her on their-"

Shadow leaned in. "What'd she look like?"

"Hey, man, first-come, first-"

With the wrench of the uniform's collar. "Was she hedgehog or was she not?"

"Yeah, yeah! She was wearing black panties and chains! We figured she was-"

The kid fell to the floor as the hedgehog let go. "Thanks. All I needed to know."

* * *

"News Flash: Senator Dies in Hotel Room, Unnoticed For Three Days." flashed on the screen of the android. With the cross reference of the files on prisoner 666, it was correct. These had been done by her.

_The man doesn't know what he's dealing with. She's not going to be stopped until she kills President Phoenicia. That's what she's working towards. _

_He didn't even know what her gender was. He assumed, and that's why those breathers failed. It was the common mortal error of assumption, which worked in her favor._

_What to do, what to do. I could try to escape. But with my signature he'll likely find me. I'd better do as he says, or at least act. Acting. Hmm. Sounds plausible. I show no outward emotion, and can alter my data._

_I suppose I should do a little digging before I engage my target. She's good._

* * *

The vice president was being escorted down a hall towards a woman in a blazer and pencil skirt. "Mr. Vice President, I'm here to organize your security," she said. "Please call me Cate. There is a very dangerous criminal on the loose."

"Yeah, that"-explicit-"who tried to kill the President. I'm well aware of whom I'm dealing with." He shooed the woman down a hallway. "It's best we talk in the innermost place in the building." It was like an interagation room, only made for executives, as this was a conference room.

"Mr. Vice President, it's crucial we establish the security..."

Shade ran towards the security gate of the convention center. "Shade the Echidna. I'm here to establish security for the vice president."

"What are you talking about? You sent someone in already."

"What do you-"

_"Shots have been fired! I repeat! Shots have been fired!" _

She immediately clicked her radio. "Shadow! She's here! She's got the Vice President!"

Prisoner triple-six was already removing the businesswoman attire. She now slinked to the cargo area through the vent systems. There was a truck with her name on it.

A kick, a somersault, and she was in the truck just before it closed the door. It was almost like getting a paper.

"You're good," said a voice from behind the crates. "You've killed two officials in a weekspan." The hedgehog from the prison stepped out. "But what are you trying to do?"

"Interested? Ha. That doesn't happen too often. Don't you know about the people you autopsy?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Though, I guess you wouldn't know." She tossed him a card. "Call me sometime. I'll tell you everything you want. No secrets."

The back of the truck was sliced through, with Shadow in the back, leaving Triple-six waving goodbye from the still mobile part. _The android again!_

He eyed the card. Seven numbers. He could probably trace the call. _But why would she give me it so easily? Even if it is a fake..._

_"Don't you know about the people you autopsy?"_

"Shadow!" The radio blarred. He stuffed the card out of sight.

"What?"

"Did you lose her again?"

"What'd you expect? She's done this before. _Many _times before. I think she's got evading federal agents down. I don't think tracking her will get us anywhere. We just need to warn the other members and see what Blaze has found."

"You do that. I'm sticking to finding her. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing. Just don't boss me around anymore. That on top of all of this is driving me off a cliff."

"All right. Just remember what your priority is."

Priority? _I suppose it's tracking her down... But..._

_"Call me sometime."_

_Was she..._flirting with me?


	3. Cooling Down

Metal inserted one of his claw-like fingers into the port. His screen showed his progress into GUN's database. He poked around for information on his target. Her mug shot had a cage around her mouth.

Age at entry: 19

Height: 3'1''

Weight: 74 lbs.

"Extremely Dangerous" and "Top Secret were stamped all over her records. Personal information was not given to the authorities. Metal then used the piece of fur he had found to see if there was someone with the same sequence.

The match led to a birth certificate of a hedgehog named Selene Phoenicia, on December 22nd, which was nearly a month from being twenty years. Runtish figures were recorded for weight. She was just two minutes behind her would-be fraternal twin, Aurora. She was born to Theia and...-

_Interesting how breathers turn on each other... I wonder if anyone else besides the President knows about this. I suppose if the agency the black one works for knew about this, they'd be investigating the President immediately._

_Stubborn little creatures._

* * *

"What've you found, Blaze?" Shadow asked as he walked up to the cat's desk.

"Whenever I try searching for the files, I'm blocked by the CIA," she informed. "I've already informed the Commander, and he's having a hard time convincing them to let us in."

"Blocked by the CIA? What leads were you testing?"

"A DNA match. With the samples I collected at the prison, I was checking for the identity of Prisoner triple-six, and why there was no identity revealed in our files. It's being with-held from us."

"Could you search the files about Devil Number's latest victims?"

The yellow eyes inspected him. "What for?"

The hedgehog was reluctant to reveal about the number exchange just before she got away, but he said. "There's probably a reason why she hunts down these people. You could team up with our criminal psychologist and get inside her head. We could probably catch her if we knew what she was up to."

The cat relucantly turned back to her computer. "All right. I'll let you know if I've found anything interesting."

* * *

The Mobian who lounged in his chair reading a magazine on his desk didn't check to see who had come into his shop. "Called it. Tight Fist owes me."

A short laugh came from the door. "Hello to you too, Ethan."

"What do you want? I'm still where I was when you got arrested, so I'm gonna charge you."

"Typical Ethan, always getting the bill." A bag was tossed unto the desk and some wads of money fell out of it, making Ethan hum a bit. "That should cover it, and a few weeks of pizza."

"Thanks, kid sister. You still have to pay for your own pizza. No way I'm sharing, even if you've come all the way to see me."

"I figured."

"I heard about your work on the senator and the VP. Looks like you've been working overtime. So, you're gonna lie low?"

"Yeah. What the papers don't tell you that there's a GUN agent on my tail, as well as a robot who's been very faithful to his timing."

"Is that how you got away with the last job?"

"The last job's still in progress, actually." With that, the Mobian put his magazine aside to reveal his white fur and blue-gray eyes, looking like Devil Numbers' relative just as much as they associated each other as.

"You mean you had that set up before? Hm. When's it gonna arm?"

"Late enough to be a nice 'lie low' period. Now, when should I expect dinner?"

* * *

"Shadow!" the Commander barked. "How the"-explicit-"did she get away with the Vice President?! Now the whole country's on our-!"

"She knew we were coming to tighten the security for him. So she made herself a fake badge and slipped through, buying herself enough time to kill the Vice President. Triple-six is very thorough in her planning ahead."

"Blaze tells me you're asking about the victims." His eyes burned and froze into the hedgehog. "Your job isn't finding out why. It's finding the"- very detailed and vulgar opinion of the hedgehog-" before she can get to the President. The country is in chaos. We can ask why once she's locked up good." And then he exited the room.

_It's a question of psychology. If we can get inside a killer's mind we can find his next victim and protect it. Or we can cut off an escapee's route. If we can just connect the dots..._

_"Call me sometime. I'll tell you everything you want. No secrets."_

He pulled out the card. Was it worth trying..?

The phone was ringing on the other end before he could object. After the fourth tone, her voice laughed. _"No, I didn't trick you. If you've called before the date of the canidate's big bash, I'll see you there."_

He started jotting the words on the notepad by the phone. _"I won't be sneaking around, either. I'll come to you without being a threat to the guest of honor. It's a promise. One more thing," _the woman paused.

Shadow flinched. She was right behind him, wasn't she?

_"It's formal, so wear a tie." _Giggling, and then the normal protocal for an answering machine.

_No question about it. She's flirting with me._ He hung up, humming. _Should I report this to the others?_

_"Technically, it's a date, so you'd be off the hook," _a voice rang, as if she was still on the phone.

_Am I _really looking _for a reason to be _alone _with a killer? True, if she kills me, it'd be around people, unless she-_

He laughed to himself. _Look how crazy I'm getting. "If she _kills me." _Ha. Like anyone could pull _that_ off._


	4. Digging Deeper

The band played a mellow sort of jazz beat as the richly dressed clinked their glasses of alcohol. This wasn't even the canidate's party and he acted as if his brother's engagement was a sidenote. But in a time of such finacial crisis, it was simplier to combine the two.

Shadow had been loitering against the wall, looking for a place where none of the polictical figures would question him. The badge he flashed the security guard was reason enough, for those informed were well-aware of the killer. _There's enough guards here for each guest to be pinned against something._

There were conversations creating a uniform buzz around the room, but there was a sound like a motor in his right ear, making it jerk.

"That's very irritating from behind," Shadow growled.

"My apologizes. My creator is human, and thusly is not as affected by my machinery. I've come to ask you something without interrupting your work.

"My creator assumes that Prisoner 666 is a male hedgehog, and that the individual is a heirloom. But 666 has only been issued to the female. Would you inform me of who my creator believes to be 666?"

Shadow's eyes grew the color of blood as he was talking. "I have no idea why a federal prisoner would be a family possession. I'd look in the confiscated items."

The android grew silent. "I see. I'll be going then; you need to be doing your job."

Turning his head with a "huh" on the tongue, a drink order snapped his head the other way.

"I'll have a cola," said the woman to the server. After they left, the other hedgehog spoke.

"What'd you bring me here for?"

"You want answers, don't you? That's why you called. The wall between you and the information you want...I can tell you what's behind it."

"You won't lie to me?"

"I never lie. I tell the truth all the time so they can see, but obviously it hasn't been very helpful."

"Then why here?"

"I was coming whether you were here or not. I've got-"-she stopped herself with a laugh, "I _had _a life too, before I started becoming an assassin. I won't tell you who, don't want to spoil their big day with you jumping on them for questions."

"How am I supposed to get answers-"

"Call again. Preferably after you try digging deeper under the wall. Ask yourself questions. Like, 'Why would a trained assassin hesitate to kill the President? Any other would gladly just kill him, no tears, right?'"

A picture flashed in his mind, an image of Triple-six being arrested. Her eyes were red, shining streaks on her cheeks. A Secret Service agent commented that she was silently crying, only sobbing when she was in confinement.

"Who are you," he wondered, "really?" Her short hair was pulled back at an attempt of making a ponytail; a simple, though low-cut and short dress hung on her upper arms.

She hummed. "To be honest, I'm not sure myself. I know I'm someone who knows what's really going on behind the screen, the events, the promises. So well covered that the only ways of revealing it are with antisocial methods."

"You think you're a hero."

"No. I don't think I'd ever be considered that. I've sat in a cell knowing that for half a year."

"And you'll still carry it out?"

"Yes. There's different kinds of prisons, and I need to free some good people from one of the worst I know." The hedgehog strided away. "Don't forget to call me again."

* * *

The original man-of-the-hour was by his brother's side as the egocentric politican chatted away. He noticed his financé wasn't with him, and turned to find her chit-chatting in a corner with a gray hedgehog. This hedgehog's hair was short, but pulled back in a tuft-like ponytail. Next to Aurora, his love, an orange dark-haired work of art, the stranger looked like a ghost.

Aurora was squeezing the hedgehog like she was her best friend, but he never remembered meeting anyone like her.

"Who was that you were talking to?" he asked as she came back. A tear bubbled in her eye. "Something wrong?" But she was smiling, so who..?

"I'm sorry… Someone who I…I haven't seen in a long time."

"Would you introduce me to her?" But the stranger had disappeared, as if she wasn't even real.

* * *

When Devil Numbers returned to Ethan's shop, another Ethan was leaning over his shoulder. "You're such a fool," he was muttering. When he saw the lady strolling towards the box of pizza, he greeted with, "Hello Cate."

"Hello, Vincent," she said before grabbing a slice. "Now it's the whole family again."

"Was that guy there?" Ethan wondered. "Did you two dance?"

"Nope. He's a real business type. But…I think he'll start digging for the remains soon enough."

"How long have you been out?" Vincent wondered. "I heard that the prison was bombed and assumed, but you know the saying."

"Well, didn't think you would admit that, brother," Ethan said, smiling.

"Technically, I was missing the day before. It was just a lucky streak."

"Ethan tells me you had that big message rigged before you were thrown in. When's it set for?"

"Well, tell me the date of the next press broadcasted discussion, and I'd say you'd have a winner. I plan to have a few more jobs done first... But out of the area. So this might be the last pizza we ever split."

"Grab a slice, brother," Ethan said, hoisting his high. "To the next pizza social for the three devils!"

* * *

Shadow put a piece of hair from what Blaze had collected. He was wondering how to dig under the wall, as Triple-Six put it. _Obviously, the files on her, the killer, are the ones being blocked. We just need to see a picture, or a newsarticle. _

When that was done, a headline for a newspaper on a canidate's death came up. _That's not- _

In the far right corner, a missing ad with a picture of a young teenager caught his eye. She had long pale gray hair and dark blue eyes. Went missing conviently on the day the canidate was killed in the car accident. Her name was-

Selene Phoenicia?

_The _President's "dead" daughter.

Papers had her name everywhere. Hyperion Phoenicia, her dad, was holding a picture of her in his hand the following debate. She was missing for the entire election, and many canidates had started getting picked off. When Phoenicia was inaugurated, then his associates started to die by the hand of who was commonly refered to as Federal Prisoner 666.

_Why would she start killing, targeting her own-_

What if that wasn't the case? Perhaps Triple-Six was just someone who found a convienent identity, made herself to look like Selene and assumed it?

_What happened to _Selene?

That question echoed in his skull, even when he was assigned to protect an associate of one of her recent victims. Not like the obnoxious ones in black who constantly checked everyone. Like an assassin to assassinate assassins, as repetitive and silly as it sounded.

He was attending a magic and dinner show, which the waitresses wore outfits that would get men to whistle. A puff of smoke on stage and a woman in a magician's coat and hat appeared, although she was in similar attire of the servers.

"Good evening, boys!" she called, recieving whistles as well. "Before I get the show going-" as she spoke, her hands clapped together, and as she pulled them apart a magian's wand grew inbetween them- "let me announce tonight's lucky winners. If you're new here, the rules are simple: if the card on the table place is the same card I call out, you get a to take a bunny home. The last card that I pull out, if it isn't a Joker card, gets a private show from me." Rowdy drunk applause.

She tapped the right of the stage and a giant top hat appeared. "Remember, boys, the bunny wearing your card is all yours!" Three bunnies walked out of the hat and then the magician pulled off her hat-

The winner was the guarded man. Shadow knew he didn't win; if he won anything at all, it was a body bag, and a ride to the grave in a hearse as soon as the show ended.


	5. Tracking

_" #$%* those hedgehogs!" _the Commander screeched, slamming his fists on the table. "I should've _known! _He's not reliable."

"Take it easy, chief," Rogue said. "Shadow's _following _her, right?"

"He's supposed to be _catching _her."

"What if _he's _been caught?"

"This is Shadow we're talking about."

"He's chasing a lady." She crossed her legs as she went on, "Take some advice from one: some girls love being chased. The _sensation_ of the chase. And if the hunter is someone as handsome as Shadow is..."

"I get it. You think the Devil from the Core is smitten over him. But does that give him any reason to let her kill off any more officials?"

"Who knows?"

"Just get back to your side of the break-in case."

* * *

"_We can ask why once she's locked up for good." Yeah, but what if she's...- Either way, I might figure out something. _Shadow punched in the numbers into the phone booth. The light inside flickered now and then.

The phone picked up immediately. "Moshi moshi," someone purred.

"Huh?"

"I thought GUN agents were supposed to be polyglots," she laughed. "Whatever."

"Stop playing around. Who are you really? What do you want?"

"Hah. So he was right; 'never trust a suit that doesn't listen to anything you say.'" The receiver was getting close-

"Wait! Selene-wait!" he pleaded. The light bulb went out. No dial tone… "That's…that's your name, isn't it?"

The light went on, and he saw a face holding a phone in the glass reflection. "Omedetou, baby." She'd implanted her boot into the phone with a grunt.

"Keep it down, genius," she growled at the expense of the shattered phone booth pane. "I'm not going back to prison until I've done what I've needed to!"

Pinning her to the corner away from the exit, "Yeah, well, I'm not so sure about that. What's to gain by killing officials?"

"To topple the monument," she grunted, "you have to destroy the supporting pillars."

"Well, you're not getting any closer to that, are you? You've got scores of politicians to kill."

"Hey!" she started fidgeting, focusing on turning around. "Hang on, hang on."

"What? What's"-she got free and-

_What the h-?!_

"Hey, break it up," a police officer warned, cursing as he saw how much the telephone booth got messed up. Devil Numbers had pulled away from his lips, cheeks tinged. "Leave your passions at home."

Shadow then noticed what a loose kimono-top Selene was wearing. The cop moved on and she grabbed his hand. "Sorry for the move. Now come on, let's go before we _both_ get thrown into prison." When she stopped at a corner, something was wrenched out of the other's head.

"What the?" Why would there be…?

"What's that?" Triple Six wondered. "You don't remember ever getting this?" A dart-like sensor of some sort flashed a red light. She tucked it away in her top and dragged the agent around the block. "Well, you know my name now, and a cop's seen us together. You're stuck with me."

"Hey, you don't have the right-"

"Look, buddy, your boss is gonna drop you from this case. He's P.O.'d and unless he doesn't hear from _you _for a while, you'll be as much as a fugitive as me."

"I'm not like _you," _Shadow growled, his eyes becoming blood red again, and he grumbled to himself. The hedgehogs came to a hotel, but she went down into the parking garage of it. "Plan on staying for free?"

"I wouldn't if I wasn't _dead," _was the retort as they scaled the stairwell. "So, did you enjoy the show?"

"Where'd you leave his body this time?"

"He's not dead yet, the perv. And if I'd killed him, it would've been in self-defense. I may be a _girl, _but that doesn't make me a succubus. I'm a maiden; I set limits."

"Really? You seem awfully comfortable with showing off."

"Not every corrupt politician is male, you know." She stopped at the door marked with an eight. She jimmied the lock and slipped through the opening. The hedgehog went a room and got in that one, too. A duffel bag signified that she'd picked this one out earlier.

"I call the master bed," she said, loosening her top. "Make sure you get rid of your equipment. Chances are that device in your head monitored your brain activity."

"I got it; what're you planning to do with it?"

"Pass it on to someone." She pulled the duffel into her room. "Get some sleep, there's a train with my name on it in the morning." Before she shut the door, "And please, _try _to resist your urges for peeping."

He puffed, eying the exits of the room. Or was it all true? Time for some eavesdropping via radio.

"…Sir, the read, we've lost it." The grunting and cursing was his Commander. Someone else asked what needed to be done.

"Find him and bring him back _locked down."_

"What about Prisoner Triple Si-"

_"We're talking about a $^%#$# $#$^% WMD, here, lieutenant! We can worry about serial killers later!"_

Crap, she was right. She took off the zap collar and now he was being chased, too. However, Shadow liked disappearing from time to time, and since he'd mentioned he was feeling a bit pressured…

Well, who knows?

* * *

A _WMD?_ Did he have access to something like that, and _that's _why they had him under such surveillance? Well, now _he _was on the run, like her. But the stone mask he wore wasn't raising eyebrows… Why was that?

Later, Selene browsed the GUN databases on Shadow, using a special all-access code thanks to the President, and-

Stamp after stamp after stamp of top secret and classified. They were all labeled "Project Shadow." What was that?

"Please don't," a grumble came from the bathroom, where the hog could hear all the taps and clicks. "Unlike yours, if any computer in the world accesses my files, there's some sort of tracking and security bug that's triggered. I don't think you want to be back in your cell too soon."

Closing the laptop and facing the bathroom wall, she replied, "I thought I told you not to-"

"I'm not _looking. _Just listening."

"Were you camping there, waiting for me to stumble on 'em?"

"The Commander tends to be excessively loud. You don't really need to know about me."

She made something like a "huh" noise. "Really. That's not fair."

"I don't trust computers. I'd rather find out about someone myself, from them, wouldn't you agree?"

The hedgehog crossed her arms as she glared at the spot she imaged him standing at. "All right, then. How about, if you stick with me till I head to Central City, I'll tell you everything about me, no lies, hm?"

His head poked of the bathroom, scanning her face like a lie detector. "And nothing in return?"

"Just your company," she clarified. "You won't be forced into doing any dirty work. You'll just be my…_captive, _for the time being."

His red eyes pierced her face, searching. But for what? And when he came across her eyes, his own pooled and he seemed to finally…

"All right then," he said, "deal."

* * *

The android was observing the hotel room that Devil Numbers and the agent had occupied. The female was tossing in her sleep, and the other was tinkering with the radio he was given. The man she had targeted was searching high and low for her, because she never came to see him after the show.

Very clever plan she'd mapped out for him, and she might pull it off with the agent in her grip. As he was observing he relayed this information to his creator.

A signal buzzed from him: _"How incredible! Metal Sonic! It looks like GUN is trying to find the both of them!"_

_ Both of them? The prisoner _and_ the project?_

_ "Looks like it! Hehehe! Keep an eye on them, Metal."_

_ Yes…sir. _He was gone now, and Metal Sonic was wondering a little about the both of his targets, and how to get out from under this tight grip of his master.

* * *

"Mr. President, sir!" A GUN agent saluted the yellow hedgehog behind the desk. "My Commander has ordered me to inform you about two potential threats to yourself and our country. The first is that Federal Prisoner 666-"

"-is loose," President Hyperion Phoenicia finished. "I'm already informed of that. Several associates of mine were brutally murdered. What's the other one? Some terrorist group planning a strike?"

"No, sir. The other is that one of our agents on the case has been showing AWOL tendencies, Agent 'Project.'"

"Agent 'Project?' That's an odd name." The President re-established eye contact with the agent. He was on the case?"

"Yes, Mr. President."

"I see." He dismissed the agent, pondering alone in the Oval Office, his throne of Denmark. His ear poison, however, had begun to seep into his_ subordinates'_ ears and not his enemies'. And it was waiting to be the item that exposed him.

He called in someone from a different door. "Any word on those documents?"

"No. Not even a hint, she jumps around too #$% much."

"What about that place she stopped at between death two and her possible attack on number three?"

"That place is owned by a hedgehog that runs a sort of investigation and extermination business. We have no information on him, except that he has a twin brother."

"What did she do there?"

"Rented the upstairs bedroom and chatted over some delivery pizza. We believe they only know so much about her charges."

"Do you have anything on this 'Agent Project?'"

"That's GUN's headache. But he's traceable."

"Do it. We need those documents as soon as possible."


	6. Playing Chess

"Wake-y, wake-y, Sleeping Beauty," her voice popped Shadow's eyes awake. Not the room he fell asleep in… was this even a room? The space vibrated and he was looking at carpet you'd find on a bus. Same for the seat he was lying on.

Triple Six was sitting beside him, wearing the wig she used during the magic show. "Next time I'm stuffing you in the cargo area," she puffed. "What, do you have _lead _injected into your bones or something?"

Growling as he gathered enough strength to reposition his probably tossed body, he replied, "How'd you even get me through that door?" He put a hand on his forehead, which alongside many other parts of his body pulsed with pain.

There was no time to answer, because the associate at the dinner show spotted her, and yanked her away. "Hey! Whatever happened to my _private show?"_

"S-She was sick!" she stammered. "I-I-I was just a fill-in! I signed a-" The man dragged her away from the area. A murder disguised as self-defense; very clever, and since she probably faked anything she "signed" there was no way they could follow up on her alias.

But just then, a few overcoats filed into the booth, closing the door. Wasn't GUN; they would have given the train trouble and kidnapped him, locking _him _in a cell for who knows how long. Shadow sat up and listened attentively, glancing at the gun muzzles sticking out of the coats.

"Agent Project," the middle one addressed. Shadow puffed before he nodded. "You've been in contact with Federal Prisoner Number 666."

After he nodded, "And who exactly are you?"

"We were sent here under orders of the President," he went on, and that made the hedgehog even more alert. A gloved hand holding a cell phone poked out of the sleeve and handed it to Shadow.

"Hello?"

The eloquent caller replied, "Agent Project; nice to see you're willing to cooperate. Are you acquainted with my daughter?"

Cautiously, he asked, "Which one: Aurora…or Selene?" The President chuckled after hearing the latter.

"Wonderful. So maybe you can help us catch her, then?"

"Mr. President, if you were able to find me, it doesn't seem that hard without my help."

"Well, actually, it is. Do _you_ know where she is?"

"I have an idea," he admitted. "But catching her is another story."

"Perhaps we could, if you can stay close and be my eyes. We can arrange for a trap."

"A trap that kills?"

The President let out a disgusted puff. "What kind of father kills his own _daughter?_ I want to keep her safe, and put her somewhere no one could ever find her. A facility so she can be treated for whatever possessed her to kill my good friends and I, understand?

"So, do we have a deal?" The coats tilted themselves to the ceiling, starting to shake; light thuds on the roof of the train.

"Let me think about it," he said, and tossed the phone to the coats, who filed out just as quickly as they had filed in. The last one left the door open as before, and was out of sight when clicking noises ematted from the window in the booth.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she grumbled, after slipping into the cart. "Stupid jerk-faced pervert. Anyway, don't worry about that pin, either."

"Stuck to him, didn't you?" He eyed the hedgehog as she pulled off the brunette wig. She was wearing a long coat that covered whatever outfit she was wearing, with high black laced-up boots. Who knows how many concealed weapons she had under that. "So what now? Where's this train going?"

As nimble and fast as a cat, she was in his face smiling. "Whaaat? Expect me to tell you?" She chuckled before going on, "now, now, what fun would that be?"

_Clink. _Shadow lunged, just to get wrenched back, growling like a dog on a chain, cursing.

"Anyhow," she continued, stretching on the other end of the seat, "why does it matter? We made a deal, remember?" The woman slid her coat off and threw it over him like a blanket. "In exchange for being my captive, you get to hear my story."

Shadow's growling died out, as well as the snarl, as he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Fine. Let's start on who you really are."

"Oh? I thought you knew that already. You know my first name, don't you?"

"Okay, then: how about your _full_ name?"

Making a kissy face, "But I thought an assassin by any other name is an assassin..." _At this rate, it'll take the whole trip to get a name out of her._

"Stop messing around."

"Okay, okay," she sighed. "Well, my name _is _Selene. Selene Luminia Phoenicia."-So it was _true!-_"Fraternal twin of Aurora Graces Phoenicia, whose engagement was being celebrated last week."

"So that explains your appearance at the party. And why you didn't try to kill anyone."

"True," she noted, eyes flickering, like making sure something was out of sight, then, "but I've been adopted by my two brothers; Vincent and Anthony Redgrave, twins who look just like me."

"And do they know about what you were charged for?" Her name was never released, no pictures, artist renderings, nor was there any press disclosure. If anyone knew, they must've some way of breaking into the prison.

"Well, of course they do," she said, locking eyes with Shadow. "What kind of big brothers wouldn't check up on their sister?"

"How could they-"

"That's not important. You probably couldn't get them to talk anyway." Triple Six waved the thought away and went on; "As a Phoenicia, I'd been raised as a good little girl. Given anything I wanted. Did what I was told."

"So what happened?"

She closed her eyes and became still, as if channeling the memory, but then she allowed all of that struggling, all of that train climbing to come to her. She looked like she'd been at a battlefield for at least three days with no sleep, a spider's web of red branching out towards her irises.

"This whole thing will be the death of me," she grumbled, too paralyzed by fatigue to even lift her head. "Oh, I was hoping to be able to curl myself into the duffel back there… but I _had _to make sure _you _wouldn't jump ship on me." Her body started to lean over on his, and she stayed there.

"Did you-" Shadow's eyes went ablaze, "Did you look up my file _after _we made that deal?"

"No…" she moaned. "I couldn't sleep at all last night. Nightmares again."

"What nightmares?" he wondered, knowing that, sometimes, they weren't nightmares.

"About… my story."

* * *

The senior walked into the front office of her school, where her dad stood, tapping his foot. "What's this all about?" she wondered. She'd been pulled out of the period just before lunch; the lunch bell rang as they exited the school.

But he didn't answer until the car was well away from- where _were _they? There weren't many cars on this road… "Dad, what's going on?" As a response, he rolled up all the windows. Only then did Selene catch the funny smell and fall asleep.

When she awoke, she couldn't tell what the darkened room was meant to be; there were foam pits and rock walls, but she saw guns and wire…

"Dad-"

The whole place was lit, and five men in black suits with-with _guns!- _they started rushing towards her- and she screamed, darting away from the wall they were trying to pin her towards. A door with an exit was on a platform that could only be reached jumping over a pit. The rock wall towards her left could get her there—

She shrieked as one of the men rammed into her side, knocking her to the floor for a few moments but she slipped away, clawing at the rock wall, away from the other four Mobians. Selene heard their guns firing, and she almost slipped when one zipped past her head. Wheezing, she pulled herself to the top as they kept firing.

The exit was just over the pit, which was probably as high up and as far apart as buildings. She had to jump; the gunners were climbing up to get her-

She bolted, and clumsily jumped across the gap, her chest slamming into the side of the wall. She scrambled herself up on the other side and stumbled to her feet. Selene was so close to the exit, and she flung the door open, running blindly behind something.

There was an echoing, loud clapping from in front. It was her father, looking very, very pleased.

"Well done, my dear," he whispered. "Well done. Not as weak and bad as I'd thought."

* * *

Shadow started to piece it together slowly as his captor rested against him, barely awake. She wouldn't be asleep that quickly, so he asked her a question before she dosed off:

"So, the nightmares you have, are they the same as your memories or—"

"Sometimes the men chasing me are the people I've killed, and the chase is much more dangerous. But my father is always clapping at the end, applauding me for… for what I've done to those people." Her breathing slowed, and she let herself fall into sleep on her prisoner. She whispered "awful" before, though.

He felt a pang for her for some reason. Perhaps because… he wasn't meant to be a rook in GUN's game of chess. He was meant _"for greater things, my son."_

"What greater things, Professor?" he'd wondered.

"You were meant to help mankind. Not by fighting. I created you to find a cure for-"

"_Oh… you're not such a bad guy after all…"_

"Huh?" In the present, Triple Six had shifted onto her stomach. She still looked ready to fall asleep, but her head rested on his chest now.

"You have a nice build," she mumbled, rubbing her cheek against it. "I always thought that guys with bulging muscles were just obnoxious. But you," she paused to purr against him, "you're lean and have tight muscles under a thin layer of fat. That's nice."

He puffed. She was behaving like Rouge, even though the hedgehog was younger and was a skilled chess player; always making plans and having a greater plan in mind, like a spider weaving a web to catch a very, very big feast. Rouge was more of a pawn, like the rest of the agents at GUN, acting on order, without question and without thinking.

Then again, this girl had also been a pawn, taking orders from a man; that is if the story was true. She could just as easily be lying and using him as a way to make a deal with GUN.

Either way, she seemed to have a calculated plan against the President in order to take down his king.

* * *

Speaking of pawns turning against their superior, Metal Sonic was trying to figure out how to get his king to fall to another in order to be free. With all this prisoner 666 and GUN agent business, there would certainly be an opportunity to catch him off guard. If things went smoothly, Metal would be able to get away for good. Last time was an embarrassing error of calculation, but what android can make predictions for a rebellion based off a system designed by its own creator?

But I must get away. I must. I can't be _imprisoned_ by that madman. This feeling I have. I must-I must _live._


End file.
